Written by Beverly Nation, President of Hollywood Branding & Entertainment Nation

After a decade of focus on national movie theater advertising and promotions we expanded our services to include product placement in movies. Our goal is to provide a full service script-to-screen marketing plan.

We manage these elements for our brand clients:

High value product placement/integration during the production of a movie

When our agency began researching product placement we found it like the “wild wild West”. The industry had no standards, consistency, or template to follow. Placement fees were all over the board. Some studios even admitted they had no idea how to price placement in their film.

So we created a proprietary system to determine ROI based on the history of the studio, film franchise, producer, director, actors, distribution channel, and more. Based on empirical data we can project the anticipated value of product placement/brand integration in a new film, music video, or other entertainment content. In 2013 our focus is exclusively on productions that will deliver at least a 1000% (one thousand) ROI.

Beyond films we also source television shows and new music videos for brands. We have had the pleasure of working with Royal Purple Synthetic Oil for several years on different entertainment projects and national movie theater promotions.

This fall, Warner Bros. is trying to reinvent Sherlock Holmes, with Robert Downey Jr. starring as the fictional sleuth. Spike Jonze, who directed “Being John Malkovich,” will put a modern twist on the storybook classic “Where the Wild Things Are.” And some recent best sellers, including Walter Kirn’s “Up in the Air” and Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” (in an adaptation from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson) will hit the big screen.

Hollywood is racing to adapt novels, comics, and children’s stories, as the ability of movie stars to draw audiences wanes. Popular books, with built-in fan bases, pose less risk for Hollywood studios trying to eke out a profit in a tough economic climate. One of the most-anticipated adaptations is the November sequel to “Twilight,” based on the best-selling book series by Stephenie Meyer.

A wave of animated films based on children’s stories are scheduled for release over the next several months, including Disney’s revision of the age-old fairy tale, “The Princess and the Frog”; Wes Anderson’s “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a mostly stop-motion animation version of the Roald Dahl novella; and “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” a 3-D take on the popular children’s book.

One giant exception: Oscar-winning director James Cameron returns to feature filmmaking for the first time since “Titanic” with his new movie “Avatar,” a sci-fi epic with an original story that’s not based on a book. The 3-D movie follows a war veteran (played by Sam Worthington) on his journey to an alien planet.

After a summer that saw box office revenues soar ahead of old records, there are far fewer films coming out in the U.S. this fall and winter season, with just 135 films currently planned for release through the end of the 2009. That’s down 32% from 2008, when 199 films were released during the same period, according to data compiled by Jeff Bock, an analyst at box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations. That number could climb slightly higher after the studios acquire films at fall festivals, but it’s still a significant drop from previous years, when as many as 240 films were released during the period.

For years, Wall Street poured billions into the film industry, creating a glut of films as the Hollywood studios used the extra cash to ramp up production. As that money dried up last fall in the wake of the credit crunch, the studios are now producing less.

The cutback does have some positive consequences, say studio executives. “With fewer films, there won’t be as much cannibalization, and each film will have a better shot at finding its audiences,” notes Mike Vollman, who runs marketing for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, home of the James Bond franchise.

In “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” a crafty chicken thief—voiced by George Clooney—strives to outwit three farmers who wage war against him for stealing their prized goods. In an unusual move for an animated feature, Mr. Anderson, best known for offbeat comedies shot in subdued tones like “The Royal Tenenbaums,” made all the actors record the audio tracks together and act out some of the motions in the film, says Jason Schwartzman, who performs the voice of Ash, Mr. Fox’s runty son. “George and I are having an intense emotional scene,” he recalls, “and we weren’t in costume or makeup, but I was really on the ground digging for dirt.”

In “Avatar,” which opens in December, Mr. Cameron employs computer-generated imagery to animate some of the characters, who look like blue oversized humanoids. The director says that even though the film is in 3-D, intricate special effects are not at its emotional center. “This movie is about people running around in the rain forest, it’s not about technology,” he says.

Also coming back to the multiplex: Buzz Lightyear and teenage heartthrob Robert Pattinson. Disney will debut “Toy Story 3″ next year and in preparation, the studio will rekindle the franchise by releasing new 3-D versions of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2.” Just a year after the teen vampire romance, “Twilight,” directed by Catherine Hardwicke, became a cultural sensation, Summit Entertainment has a sequel, “New Moon“—featuring werewolves and a bevy of new special effects—set to hit theaters the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Summit hired a new director to make “New Moon,” which has “a totally different look,” according to the studio’s chief executive and co-chairman Rob Friedman, and “offers a lot more for the guys than the first movie did.” Werewolves (including Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner) emerge in the sequel as protectors, shielding Bella (actress Kristen Stewart) from the menacing vampires that prey on her after Edward (Mr. Pattinson) departs. The film focuses in part on that breakup—and its resolution—but it also features more computer-generated effects to render the wolves. “New Moon” director Chris Weitz says the new werewolf element forced filmmakers to ramp up the special effects. “We weren’t going to just use a guy in a wolf suit,” he says.

Hollywood’s fall line-up features two movie musicals: “Fame,” a loose remake of the 1980 hit film of the same name set at a New York high school for performing arts, and “Nine,” director Rob Marshall’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning film “Chicago.” “Nine” was inspired in part by Federico Fellini’s film “8½” and features a star-studded cast including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Penélope Cruz.

A grittier take on the high school musical genre, “Fame” follows a group of students—dancers, singers, actors—as they try to achieve fame for their artistic pursuits. The original music for “Fame,” which won Academy Awards for original core and riginal song, has been supplemented and updated to sound more contemporary.

Emmy-winner Megan Mullally, who plays one of the “Fame” teachers, says that the new movie is more like a regular film than a musical. “The musical numbers are integrated in a seamless and organic way,” she says.

The fall’s comedic fare includes a new Coen brothers movie “A Serious Man,” about a physics professor (played by Michael Stuhlbarg) who struggles to raise his family in a middle-class Jewish neighborhood in the Midwest when his wife threatens to leave him. “It’s Complicated,” a Nancy Meyers film, follows a woman (played by Meryl Streep) who is pursued by two men (Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin).

Jason Reitman’s comedy “Up in the Air,” featuring actor George Clooney, tells the story of a corporate-downsizing consultant whose nomadic existence—and impressive frequent flier mileage—is placed in peril, making him question his lifestyle.

“The movie is about the examination of a philosophy—what if you decided to live hub to hub, with nothing, with nobody?” says Mr. Reitman, who spent six years writing the film and, in that time, got married, had a baby and directed the hit movie “Juno.”

Mr. Reitman says this film, which was only loosely based on Mr. Kirn’s novel, was a more deeply personal effort than his first two feature films, “Thank You for Smoking” and “Juno.” “The main character was written very much from my own heart,” he says.

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide. Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby. We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise. Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Kia Soul Hamster Commercial

Hits the Big Screen

Kia’s Soul Finds ‘New Way to Roll’

One ad depicts a computer-generated Levittown populated by giant hamsters.

NEW YORKKia Motors America is ready for its close-up, prepping an expansive ad campaign for its new crossover vehicle, Soul, that begins Friday.

Tagged “Soul. A new way to roll,” the 60-second spot will play in movie theaters served by National Cinemedia and Screenvision, with the latter buy targeting cinemas located on or near 50 college campuses.

Created by David & Goliath, Los Angeles, the ad depicts a computer-generated Levittown populated by giant hamsters. As the rodents spin in place on their hamster wheels, waiting for the traffic light to change, the drudgery of their gridlocked exercise is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a red Kia Soul. When the car pulls up to the intersection, the passenger-side window rolls down to reveal a posse of three hipster hamsters who are clearly enjoying their ride.

The theater ad will run through April 1, whereupon the print and television campaign will kick off, said Tim Chaney, director, marketing communications, KMA.

“We’re doing a buy across the major networks and cable, and it’s a nice balance of prime time and some late night,” Chaney said. “Because we’re going after the younger demo, we’re doing quite a bit of cable.” Kia’s cable buy includes Adult Swim, Discovery Channel, MTV and Comedy Central.

The carmaker has also lined up a major integrated sponsorship, buying time on the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. In addition to 30-second spots, the Soul will also play a part in the night’s festivities, Chaney said.

With details still being ironed out, Kia did not offer particulars about the print campaign. Chaney said print ads would run through the end of 2009, across a range of youth-oriented lifestyle, entertainment and music titles, as well as in a selection of niche publications.

On the digital side, Kia is covering a vast expanse of the online waterfront, buying into search and social media.

While some automakers are taking a more somber approach to marketing their 2009 lines, Kia will present a playful, upbeat note throughout the Soul campaign. “There’s a lot of heavy stuff going on in the world right now and it’s starting to seep into advertising,” Chaney said. “We just didn’t want to get caught up in that. We think the people who are going to be drawn to Soul are more likely to respond to a lighthearted message.”

In addition to showcasing the Soul’s fuel efficiency (31 MPG) and low price (MSRP starting under $14,000), the theater spot also emphasizes the car’s sound system, which features pulsating lights that twitter and flash to the beat.

“We don’t want to do a traditional car ad, particularly because of how marketing savvy this target audience is,” Chaney said. “We don’t think we’d get anywhere with them if we were to just hit them with a lot of car specs.”

While Kia did not disclose the media budget for Soul, Chaney characterized the overall buy as “pretty significant … right up there with the most we’ve ever spent on a launch.” One major difference between the Soul offensive and those that came before it is that broadcast will play a much smaller role this time around.

“A new way to roll” heralds the first of a number of launches Kia has planned between now and 2011. “The new face of Kia is all about style and personalization,” Chaney said. “The Soul launch symbolizes the first wave of design-oriented products we have in store in the next few years.”

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide. Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby. We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise. Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Twitter users urged to make A Powerful Noise; NCM Fathom to donate funds raised to CARE for each Tweet

Centennial, Colo. – Feb. 24, 2009 – National CineMedia’s (NCM) Fathom hosts the first-ever sponsored Tweet-a-thon, an online Twitter community campaign, March 2-5, to empower marginalized women and girls in the world’s poorest countries. During the four-day campaign, each Tweet secures a 10 cent donation – up to 50,000 Tweets – from NCM Fathom to the global humanitarian organization CARE. The Twitter campaign honors International Women’s Day and the upcoming event A Powerful Noise Live! in 450 select movie theatres nationwide on March 5th.

Each A Powerful Noise Tweet must include the hash tag #apowerfulnoise to generate the donation. Twitter users are encouraged to craft their own Tweet or use one of the examples below.
• I support empowerment of women worldwide with this tweet. Each tweet raises 10 cents for CARE. #apowerfulnoise http://shortn.it/tweet-a-thon

• First time you can raise money for worthy cause by sending a tweet. Help CARE support women globally: #apowerfulnoise. http://shortn.it/tweet-a-thon

“NCM Fathom is proud to support CARE with this first-ever Tweet-a-thon,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. “We’re excited to bring Twitter users the opportunity to raise funds for CARE simply by Tweeting a specific phrase with no personal donation required. We hope Twitter users actively participate during this campaign to help support girls and women around the world.”

In addition to Tweeting, online users also have the opportunity to upload an image of themselves or a woman they admire to an online visual petition widget at http://APowerfulNoise.FathomEvents.com. Together the images will form a mosaic. As more images and stories are uploaded, the “louder” the movement becomes. Users may also view the A Powerful Noise Live! trailer and clips from the documentary as well as purchase event tickets.

“The Tweet-a-thon is a great way to share our collective viewpoints and make a difference in the lives of marginalized women and girls,” says Dr. Helene Gayle, president and CEO of CARE. “We appreciate NCM Fathom’s support to connect CARE with this growing online community and help jumpstart important dialogue in a new and engaging way.”

Presented by NCM Fathom and CARE, in partnership with ONE and the UN Commission on the Status of Women, A Powerful Noise Live! is a one-night, in-theatre event on Thursday, March 5 that kicks off with the documentary “A Powerful Noise,” providing attendees a glimpse into the unbending efforts of three women to create change in Bosnia, Mali and Vietnam.

The documentary will be followed by a town hall discussion broadcast LIVE from New York City. This is an exclusive opportunity to hear leading experts and advocates including Madeleine K. Albright, Christy Turlington Burns, Dr. Helene Gayle, Nicholas Kristof and Natalie Portman speak about the broader problems – and solutions – facing millions of women and girls in the world’s poorest countries.

Tickets for A Powerful Noise Live! are available at presenting theatre box offices and online at http://www.fathomevents.com. For a complete list of theatre locations and prices, please visit the web site (theatres and participants may be subject to change).

A Powerful Noise Live! appears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in more than 450 select movie theatres through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network – North America’s largest cinema broadcast network.

Despite the deepening recession, Hollywood is bucking the trend and actually breaking records on the upside.

This January the domestic box office topped $1 Billion for the first time ever, up 19 percent from last January’s $867.2 million.

And while higher ticket prices did help boost the box office, the real boost came from more attendance: ticket sales grew 16 percent this January over last year.

January is traditionally a weak time at the box office as kids head back to school, but this year Americans are looking for an escape and the films delivered. Clint Eastwood‘s “Gran Torino” from Warner Bros. rolled out slowly, bringing in a total of $110 million. Sony/Columbia’s comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” was a surprise hit, bringing in $83 million. And this past weekend Fox’s
kidnapping drama “Taken” brought in nearly $25 million, the second-best movie opening Super Bowl weekend ever.

Movies seem to be benefiting from the downturn, offering an affordable escape from the bad news. Yes, people complain about over-priced popcorn and increasingly expensive tickets, but movies are far more affordable than concerts or sporting events.

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide. Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby. We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise. Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.

Two new studies give a boost to out-of-home advertising, touting its ability to reach consumers in a fragmented media environment–especially if advertisers understand behavior patterns in the local market and use the medium in conjunction with other channels.The first study, released by the Cinema Advertising Council, highlighted the effectiveness of pre-show movie advertising in combination with TV. The second, from Posterscope, delivered insights into the different patterns of consumer exposure to outdoor advertising in various U.S. markets.

The CAC study, performed by IMMI, found that combined cinema and TV ad campaigns more than doubled the conversion rate and lift compared to a TV-only campaign. Tracking the results of three ad campaigns for cable TV shows, IMMI found that only 10.1% of subjects exposed to a TV-only campaign watched the show’s premiere, versus 22.7% for combined TV and cinema campaigns. Later, 24.7% of the former group went on to watch any episode of the show, versus 49.5% of the latter.

Cinema advertising contributed to this rise, in part, by reaching a higher proportion of “ad-avoiding” and multitasking consumers. Twenty-eight percent of moviegoers are classified as “ad avoiders,” meaning that overall moviegoers are 157% more likely to see ads at the movie theater than on TV.

In addition, movie ads are 64% more likely to reach people who use their phone to send text messages while watching TV, and 25% more likely to reach those who are online while watching TV.

Separately, the Posterscope study provides a market-specific analysis of consumer behavior in the top 20 DMAs, tracking the population’s movement and exposure to out-of-home advertising. According to Posterscope’s poll of 9,000 adults, 41% of New Yorkers can be reached via public transportation venues, while 50% of San Franciscans can be reached in coffee shops.

Posterscope further breaks down behavior patterns by demographic attributes, noting that men ages 18-34 in Atlanta frequent movie theaters, while their counterparts in Chicago can be reached at public transportation venues.

Hollywood Branding, started in 2001, works with 30 marketing companies to provide a simple, stress-free avenue to research and run ad campaigns on movie theaters nationwide. Our database includes every cinema in the U.S. that offers any kind of advertising opportunity on-screen or in the lobby. We offer free planning, rates, research, and media buying expertise. Some of our clients include Disney, US Army, the Food & Drug Administration, the state of VA, the city of Los Angeles, the FL Health Department, the state of OR, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, eBay, and the National Crime Commission.